Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-19
LIQUOR AGENCY.
Inc boardof Aldermen Listen IA ~. a.
tlemen " VIC "on-
who Favor and Oppose n. E.,..,,.

lVelv meeting and the gentlemen Who
were often quite emphatic in their words n.
speaking was almost all in favor Of rho .,.h
iishment of an agency.
Hon. John L. Stevens uroej rho ....,,.
,ne". OF an sgency in Augusta, 80 that the
Jaw against Illegal traffic can be more coil,
anu enectivelv enforced. He maintained tho,
Tue spirit and intent of the proh,bitorv sr.tm,a
lro" It's nrst adoption to the present. reon;red
." asency IN city OF the population and i'm.
p;oilance or Augusta. The law gives to the
;;a 'Aen .he right to buy and use alcoholic
.'duorS ior mechanical and medicinal pur.
anu that right cannot be taken from
m W 'ne majority OF the people or the of
ncers Oh any town or municipality. Itwas no,
question of law m iking or unmakn, ~ Nv
the city government. 1t was for the leo;sI. -.
azure to make laws, and the CITY Official. N
carry them out in good faith. The discre.
.iohary power allowed to the municinal an
.horitles oid not 90 to the extent of deteatinu
Tue oDl cts and the intent Of the law. nor az
ueprlvlng citizens of their right under tho
Jaw OF obtaining alcoholic liquors for mecban.
,cai purposes. To carry out the intent of rba
law did not require the maintenance of an
agency in all the towns of the
State, for many Of these town,
ord H. eo'"herc'ai centres
VIC Ni,iA1"s went 10 the cities and larger
~ Wv '''eii framing, TO md duly quail
neo apothecarles, and physicians. Buteyerv
other city IN the State of the population and
.a". 80 Vi augusta maintained an agency,
except Calais, which is on the State border.
ana alcoholic liquors for legal uses can be
OBTAINED by the citizens of Calais bv merely
crossing a bridge to an adjoining city in New
II N ntalr AZ -
- I'm MT. stevens sad Portland, Bid
F'o.u brunswick, BAN, Richmond, Bangor,
:, "is'o"' hockiand, Girdiner. Ha'hwell and
niaonias maintained agencies. He said Bath
nav oeen recently quoted "a having abolished
"e 'ee"cS' II olu So Dut In very short
.,"'e fes'oteo H. he stated this on the au
tnorlty OF Letter just received from Mayor
""hehe'o or mat city. H- said he respected
tue person VINO had reached the conclusion,
that alcoholic liquors are unnecessary for
medical use'' anu therefore an ageny is not
needed Tor their sale. But that i, not the
view "h'ch NJ Stale has taken or the sub
Ject' ana Individual opinions outside of the
law had nothing TO do with the ques.
tloh before Inc committee of Aldermen
Inc law and policy OF Maine are like that of
the other hve States, which have prohibitory
laws, Ike those OF all the States and govern
ments In the world which are trying to re-
strict thesale of alcoholic liquors They guar
antee and protecs the right Of citizens to
OBTAIN liquors for mechanical, chemical, and
medicinal purposes. The STATE has never
late nded to compel lis citizens to 90 ont of
the State to obtain alcoholic liquors for law
ful purposes, nor to tempt, nor connive with,
other persons to become criminals by break
ing the law. The improved safeguards which
the legislature has just thrown around the
State agency plainly shows the intention and
care of the State on the subj CT
1t was in the interest of good order, OF so
briefly, OF public m)ralitv, that the petition
ers ask the city government to carry out the
plain intent and spirit of the law. Some
abuses there might be with the agency !;
everything eXpedlent and right is liable TO
abuse. But 1t is better to have one shop
under legal insp,ctiun and control, than to
have twenty ceiling N defiance OF law and
public decency II did not become any of
US to set up our individual notions on the
subject against the usage and policy Of all
States and nations which have attempted
legislation on the llqaor traffic and its terri
bic evils.
The venerable px.Gov. Arson p Morrill,
spoke hrl fly but 10 the point There is but
one answer he said, offered to those who favor
the agcpcy. The opponents all say it will be
abused; an assertion without argument.
wish to say that am not here IN the interest
Of more liquor, for have not used drop Of
liquor tijLer for medicine or tipping pur-
poses for over forty years l believe il would